If Elvis hadn't existed...

Much the same I suspect. There were other rock and roll singers around at the same time although I take nothing away from his influence, especially on The Beatles.

Steve,

I think we can go back further and ask instead; If the Blues hadn't existed..... After all it's the basis of  most popular music even today. Elvis's first hit 'That's Alright Mama' was a Blues track ripped off Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup who Elvis never credited for writing the song.

Elvis was certainly an influence but not the only one; Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard are a few that spring to mind. Most, if not all were themselves influenced by the Blues. Most of the groups in Britain during the '60s were probably more influenced by the Blues than Elvis.

So for me it's the Blues that has had the biggest influence, even on Elvis.

ATB

Steve

Don't think it would have made any difference. Something would have happened to move things forward. Surely we could not have listened to endless dance bands. I'm not sure Elvis P really influenced the folk rivival and the foundation for the great music of the 60s and 70s ... the golden decades of the last century. 

When growing up, rock n roll didn't mean very much to me. Yes, it influenced what i did like ... But albums i enjoyed the most like 5000 Spirits by iSB didn't seem to have much in common with Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard or Chuck Berry. I'd even go as far as to say i avoided 50s rock and roll ... prefering Shirley Colins, Sandy Denny and Ray Davies and the Beatles were moving in to song writing psych .. with songs that told a story rather than started with "my baby left me". 

I was also quick to jump on the Keith Emerson bandwagon and never lept off. Here was music influenced by just about everything from Bach to Kim Fowley. 

I do think if Ludwig Van Beethoven had not existed then we would not have heavy metal or progressive rock 

If the Kingsmen had not released Louie Louie then .... 

Looking back there are Elvis P songs that now sound very good ... Suspicious Minds in particular.